Shira Smiles on Chanukah- Dec. 16, 2025

Great. Okay. Okay. First and foremost, let us dedicate the sha for all the injured in Australia is albeit Australia is the end of the world. Wherever a Jew is, it is right up close personal to each and every one of us. And um it's scary. It's scary that we're living in a world where it's not only scary what happened. I think what's scarier is the response or the lack of and and we have to realize that uh you know the idea of one lamb among 70 wolves is a very real um very real and um it should be rama for each and every each and every person. Okay my friends >> please >> before a mainly >> okay um here we go my friends let us let's learn it's Kaneka [clears throat] and thank you for coming back after a week break that was for remembering I missed you. >> Thank you. You see, I didn't say I missed you, too. Did you notice that? I'm back also. Yeah, this is a great group. toward the opening line. The land was this full of to learn is about galos. Boho is about gulos mai theos to isome is gol name. So already at the beginning of creation, we have a hint toward Yavan that they're referred to as as darkness because they darkened our eyes with their decrees because right on the horn of an ox, you have no portion in the God of Israel. Now when you take a look at this statement there quite a number of questions that are asked and there's a lot of Torah written on this. What's the idea of of darkness by Yavan? But the question I want to focus in on is the end of this uh Gmorrah right on the horn of an ox you have no portion in the God of Israel. So the idea of no portion in the God of Israel has to be examined. More specifically, what is this horn of the ox? I mean, if you had to pick a random place to make a statement of we don't have a relationship with Hashem, I'm not sure the horn of the ox would be what my first choice. So, to just we're going to look at three ideas to just offer a few just to be a little bit intellectually honest. In source number two is they wanted to maximize the blasphemy of Hashem as much as possible. In those days the main method of travel was through the use of oxdrawn wagons. So oxen prominently traversed the length and the breadth of the land and that is what was like a public statement at that time. Hence the fate Torah notes. This is fascinating why Khaneka then has the component of pursuing Nissa of publicizing the miracle because it comes to what? Offset the original decree. That's one idea. Continuing in source number three, the Rambam notes that it was an agricultural society. Oxen were what they used. So this was something they encountered at all times. Alternatively, they use to feed their babies. They didn't have baby bottles in those days. They use the horn of the ox as the baby bottle. So, like, you know, today we have pictures we put by the kids' crib, you know, like rabbis or something that we want them to like, you know, just soak it in. So, we know that what a child sees at a young age becomes what? Becomes part of them. So therefore, this was writing it on the baby bottles. Source four, the maral explains that it's symbolic and it's a reference to the sin of the golden calf. And what they were saying was if you did the sin of the golden calf so soon after you received the Torah, then obviously you have no portion in the God of Israel. You've renounced it yourself. You think you're the chosen people to you're not. Okay, those are some classic understandings. I want to share three ideas today and obviously with the eye of how can we make Kaneka you know special for our lives and I will tell you it's a real challenge to give a shir on Khaneka because there's so much and talking about last week on Cabala Simsum it's hard to what like I want to do that I also want to do source five timeless seasons of penas rabberts from England. For those of you who are English here, possibly the explanation lies in a statement of our rabbis are gaim. There are four creatures which are unduly arrogant by nature. And among the domestic animals, it is the ox that bears that stigma, right? The ox is, you know, it will go against any opposition. Basically, my friends, don't start up with your nearest ox that you may that you may encounter. That's the bottom line. Now, I'm flipping the page. Source six on the next slide. Arrogance is not only a character trait, it's also calls into question one of the most basic beliefs and therefore deserves the reproach of Tovas Hashem Kavale, a Yid who firmly accepts that all his blessings of health, wisdom, and material prosperity are provided by Hashem. cannot possibly be pompous. Only someone who denies this dogma and attributes his good fortune to his own efforts will fall prey to feelings of self-importance and vanity. So that's what the Greeks knew. They knew that they couldn't tell the Jews don't believe in God, but rather they say means the God of providence. Don't believe that God is personally involved in your life. It was to persuade the Jews to disavow in the dot their acceptance of Hashem as a source of all bounty. And we're going to develop this right now. Hashem and that is what we call darkness. When you don't believe that Hashem is the source of everything that we have, then you are living in darkness. The the the dogma of every Jew is three words a mil. There's none other than Hashem and everything that we have comes from him. Period. Let's develop this. I want to move to source number nine in Roth and he says in the olden days person loenu got sick. What was the first thing the person did in the olden days? >> What was they did? >> Very good. You hit the nail on the head. Very good. >> Yes, I will. Welcome. They would do chuva. What is it that brought this on me? I when we have a headache, the first thing most of us in this room do, who would like to tell me? >> Take an anvil. Anyone with me? Taking an anvil. That's the first thing I do. I don't say whoa what is it that God is knocking on my door saying smiles um let's uh realign ourselves no I take an aspirin I say hope this goes away they understood that chuva is the first recourse and they also understood that the is bareolum and utila utaka mirimoa hera kamu At the end of the first paragraph and nine, obviously there's a concept of healing and going to a doctor and taking Advil. That is a Jewish concept. This is part of the which is part of the efforts we have to do. But listen to the words I use. It is part of the efforts. It is not the only effort. Do do you hear the difference my friends? This is there are number of things we have to do. They understood that whatever is happening is not random. Right? I get a toothach and I say when was the last time I was at a dentist? What is it? What could it be? Though am I making any sense today? These are the thoughts that go through my head when I live in a world of anode milado. The first question I ask myself is what's the message? What am I supposed to learn from this? What what where's the growth happening in this situation? Because the end of nine why we have challenges is in order to stay connected. And that is why Rafinkus says the more you are connected in terms of thanking Hashem and acknowledging Hashem, the less you will have a need for the minor challenges in life. Do you know what the minor challenges in life? I can't find my keys. Where did I put my keys? Th those experiences in life will need less of them because those are key experiences. to unlock the reality of connection [laughter] because I'm already connected. Um, you know, it comes to mind, I've shared this before, is when my kids were little, we were in LA and I was looking for insect repellent and I was in Ralphs, which is like the key food or whatever of LA and I'm walking from aisle to aisle and I cannot find insect repellent. This is like crazy. So I remember turning to my kids at that time one was eight and one was four Canara and I said okay Emma stuck Ralph is very big it's a big store okay um and I lived in LA you would think I went back visiting you would think I would know where it was I said to my kids okay stuck what should I do one kid said Davin and the other kid said ask someone right but those are those are the two responses is on the right hand and on the left hand. You know where it is insect repellent in the camping se not the camping section. What section was it? I don't remember anymore. I don't remember. I did ask. I did have it. I did ask. Um you're kar at all times. You live with Hashem. Now what happened here in source 10? That was the normal recourse of of a Jew. When Yavan came along, which is the Greek mentality philosophy kua teshar they broke this relationship and they said you know what we've discovered something called a microscope and you look in the microscope and you see something called kaidakim kaidim are >> germs bacteria and there's something called antibiotics and you put the antibiotics onto this and guess But it goes away. What were the Greeks really telling us? You think that the source is God? No. The source is something called, give me the word, >> nature, natural. And many Jews were very drawn by this because Jews like to be able to uh understand and think and this makes a lot of sense. It does make a lot of sense and at the same time it is true and at the same time there's rebon shalom in the world. You know I heard once I don't know if it was telesome so did not quote me on the hospital. There was some hospital in Tel Aviv area that a group of doctors came from America to [clears throat] research some very rare illness. Beyond that I can't tell you the details. And they went from bed to bed looking at the chart speaking to the patients or the patient's parents and uh trying to get a a sense and they skipped over one bed and the mother said to the doctors um you skipped over my child and the doctor said you look clearly as Orthodox Jews we don't have you as part of our study because you have something called prayer >> prayer. >> [clears throat] >> That's where it's at. Yeah. Take all the studies you want. And I and I always say this probably every year because I I it's laos to give thanks. So, this is my public way of giving thanks of of a doctor telling my husband and I, "We give you a 3% chance of ever having kids and 3% is high." The 8-year-old, the four-year-old, remember them who are 28 and 24 now because percentages is the world of nature. God is above percentages. Doctor, >> so there's a famous study out of Colombia. >> Okay. >> Um I don't know whether it the surgical ICU or the CCU they randomized patients to two groups and they were those who somebody prayed for them and the other group that people did not pray for that >> so I'm just repeating this for the zoom a this audience two groups in the hospital one group was prayed for one group was not >> and the patients were not aware that they were prayed for so it was a blinded study >> blinded studied patients did not know they were prayed for >> who were prayed for did significantly better better outcomes in a variet modalities than the pat. >> Wow. The patients that were prayed for did better in various modalities and they didn't even know they're being prayed for. >> Yes, ma'am. very when my son was still finishing up with my son. I said to him, "If I knew when you started how many years and how difficult it is, I wouldn't have never encouraged you go into medicine." He said, "Mommy, every day that the wards is a kid." And during co another son was the head of the unit. He said, "I bring something so special to these patients. Many will die. It's the beginning of co." He said, "I bring faith to them." >> You bring faith to them as a doctor. >> Wow. Okay. Final. I have to move here. >> Getting away from medicine a minute. Uh there is a a story about the military school in America in Annapolis. It's the college of war and stuff. And they said that some of the Israeli wars like 67, >> they don't study the wars >> because it it doesn't follow into the into the thing. That's it. That's it. This is what we're talking about. Greeks tea nature yim. We know that there is no such thing as nature. The rebon shalom runs this world. What' you say >> for sure? Now this is what it means. The shore is arrogance. That's what it represents. The horn of the ax is the arrogance of the arrogance. What we call the cherry on top of the cherry. Yeah. This is this is what it's about. You have to understand that there's only something called nature that runs the world. It's interesting. We know and this is by the what should have been an arrow is that there are three keys that were not given over to any Shalia the tanis um and they're only given the only Hashem is in charge. What are those three keys? >> Rain. >> Rain. What's second? >> Yeah. Child birth and resurrection. Those three are in the hands of Hashem. So he brings here from revelop all three things water we are dependent on water you can't live without water and we know we have a science called the meteorologist meteorology we have a science and we know one thing about this science and that is >> we don't know anything >> they don't know anything that's exactly the right answer it's unpredictable right we all know this. It's going to rain today. Please take an umbrella. You take an umbrella and what do you do with it? Use that as a walking stick. I mean, it's Cornish. It's going to be a beautiful day. You get caught in a >> Why? Because it was not given over to a Shalia. What's the Shalia? Tea. Isn't it fascinating that you can know when will the sun rise and set for the next zillion years to the exact minute but we don't know rain which is we're so dependent on there is no natural aspect to rain like you would think that it will rain x amount of time in x amount of days that nothing some winters are dry some winters are wet some winters we have Byron which has you know two days of uh two months of rain. Children are the same way. Animals have children more or less on a predictable. The fish have more. You know, they scale to different heights. We understand that people some people have a lot and some people have a little. Some people comes easy, some people not. Why? So says re Lupian Zatel, this isn't just about these two. These two we are so dependent on God because this is something water I'm not leaving resurrection out for now and and children is something everyone wants. Just like these are in the hands of God and we have to go directly to the source. So too everything is in the hands of God and we can't believe anything is natural and and this is a challenge that we have the and and we've spoken about this challenge. You listen to the news and you almost really believe that the government officials are making decisions. You know we we almost get caught up into that uh misnomer. The British is running everything here and there is nothing natural about any we we're living it. Nothing natural about anything that's going on. >> That was the missing piece when the hostages were released. Everybody was praising praising Trump. >> Right. Right. >> They weren't praising the majority. >> Right. Right. 100%. Yeah. >> Iran was the only country in the Middle East that didn't have rain during Biden. >> Really? Iran was the only country that didn't have rain in this last storm. Which just goes to show you what that reon solo is running the show. We have to redouble our effort. Which leads me to 12. Here's the punchline for today. How do we celebrate Kaneka? We celebrate Kaneka by lighting the candles. Let's take a look at the end of 12. And he says here the which was oil that was able to last for eight days is a real indication how the whole science of Greece is limited because according to you scientist Oil can only last what? One day it it breaks the laws of math, physics, chemistry, all of this. You know what it shows? There's a biolum. Everything is an emissary of God. If Hashem wants it shorter, it'll be shorter. Longer it will be longer. And don't right. This is the famous idea of the Sabbath of Kelm. Why do we have an 8- day holiday if the miracle only happens seven days? Wrong. The first day that oil even lasts one day is a miracle. Everything's miraculous. I wake up this morning, it's a miracle. I'm able to talk, to move, to drink. Miracle. Life is a miracle. Here's the punchline for our lives. Is a time of redoubling our effort in belief in Hashem, our learning, our davening. The candle is about one word, connection, realization. It's about gratitude. It's about not taking anything for life for granted. Let's pause for a moment here and I want to add one or two ideas before before moving on. The first idea is something we have spoken about in the past, but I like to repeat every year. So, I'm going to repeat it. And if it does sound familiar, great. And if it doesn't, don't tell me. We say in the halalu when we light the candles. Yeah. We say this sound familiar. In simple English, these are candles we can't use only to look at. Then the next word is the key word in the salu. Why am I lighting the candles? In order to give thanks. And the balus say if you light the candles without giving thanks, you've missed the boat. Right? What would this be like? So, just to give an example, if somebody here was going back to America and uh I say to them, "Have you ever heard of the store called Amazing Savings?" I I love Amazing Savings. I can tell you where one is in probably every place in New York. Yeah. In Jersey. And they said, I say to them, "Would you mind picking up a few things at Amazing Savings?" And they said, "Sure." I said, "Let me give you a list." I give them a list. They come back. I asked them first how they're triplets. I'm a little bit nice, but what was really asking is um did you remember the list? You know what? I said I read the list every single day. Well, I didn't really expect you to do that, but that's very impressive. Okay. So, so what? [snorts] So, where are the things? What things? Remember the list? Yeah, I told you I read the list every day. Oh, you wanted me to buy the things. I thought it was enough just a word. Read the list. To say had to say h roalu without giving thanks is to read the list without delivering the goods. The night of Kaneka is about thankfulness. to sit by the candles and just make a list 25 things you're thankful for. Every night add to it. Yes, it's a gavaldic time of it's what we call an eight rut zone, a time of favor. Yes, but first and foremost, it's a time to say thank you. It's to appreciate the regular things in our lives is not regular. We're healthy. We have food. We have a house. We have a family. Don't take any of this for granted. Laos la. First and foremost, thank and then davenin. Listen closely. When we thank, we come to an emotional and spiritual place of realization that a ovado I can't do this without you. Hashem, I need you in order to be able to have gifted me with everything. Once I have that realization then my davining takes on a whole different zach where I realize you are the only address. Let me share with you a story. There were two girls in their late 20s, not yet married, who were learning social work, and they were doing stage um internship. And their internship was at an old age home. And in this uh old age home was a woman who was 80 years old who was completely with it. I just heard about an 80-year-old woman who jumped 600 jumps a day. Okay. She was on that that uh in that league and she was never married and she was lonely. So she checked into this old age home just to have what? Company, companionship. So these girls became very close to her. And uh one day she said to them, "You seem a little bit more rushed than usual." They said, "Well, we're about to go to Amuka from Bjon to Daven for what? Ash, she says, "Can I join you?" And they said, "Sure." So they take a whatever buses up to uh Muka and they see she is dabbing her head out like they never seen anyone dab. They're dabbing, but they're she's what? And they said to her, "What was this all about?" She said, "It's never too late to what? >> To get married." Okay, come back to the um >> she got married. >> Can you can you finish the story, please? Can she um they come back and then they they got moved to a different place and you know we'll keep in touch. You know what keeping in touch means? And six months later they decide you know we haven't visited in a long time. They come back and they come to her room and it's empty and they say where is she? And they answer now. how she left is not usually a good sign. So they went to the supervisor and said, you know, it really wasn't nice of you for not letting us know. We would come to the funeral. We were connected to her and she's looking at them like, what are you talking about? Well, we went upstairs and they said heal. They said, yes, she left. But around six months ago, a man came here who was widowed, who was also with it, and he was also lonely. And someone on the staff said, "This would be a great shock." And they got married, and she's living in his house now. And these girls said, here's the punchline. We davened and she daved. We daven thinking, you know what, we're beautiful, you know, 26 year old girls and we have sharim and uh we'll get set up. She daved that she's 80 years old. Who's going to marry her? And she got married because she realized there was no other address but what the reon salum kaneka is about davening with an understanding a ode mvo it's not about statistics it's not about nature it's only about hashem And it's not just by the candles. It's our entire day. It's a day a whole day of Khan is laos to give thanks, to appreciate, to look at life from a different vantage point. Just to take this idea one step further, the orolam in source 13 points out if you understand that Hashem is the creator of the world, then you understand that Hashem recreates the world on a continuous basis. And that's what we call that's what we call renewal, rejuvenation. And he says, "Hashem we know is Hashem continuously what? Creates the world at all times. If Hashem creates the world at all times, guess what my friends? We have to live also in a world of we also have to live in a world of rejuvenation and renewal." And he says this so clearly in in the end of 14 where he says we have to live when we're living in the time of the week of and the are fighting for this idea of there is renewal rejuvenation. It's not just because I set something into motion and that's the way it's going to be forever. No, things can change. Anything can change. What we have to do is our Torah learning has to be different. We have to feel renewal. Our lives have to be renewal. In fact, theidics say this. We light candles, we light the the way the gar says it until the foot foot traffic uh leaves the marketplace. So theic masters say the point of lighting candles is about moving away from habit. One of the fascinating things about candles, if you look at it, is that we think it's the same fuel that is fueling the wick. It's not. Every moment it's what? It's taking new fuel. That has to be our lives. Putting this into English. We're on the second day of Kaneka, so we have plenty of time to begin. Like this year was like the eighth day of Kanuka like oh my gosh what a you know pick an area of davening and invest newness in it which may be picking one line and singing it just to infuse a little bit of newness. taking the word in the first three of and stopping and feeling Hashem's right in front of you. Hashem, stop. It doesn't matter. These are just two suggestions. You can choose whatever makes you happy. But we dav in the same davenining. Infuse a little bit of life into it. Do whatever we're doing, but a little bit what do they say? Like a a skip in your step. Is that an expression? >> Do you know what I'm talking about? >> No. >> She knows what I'm talking about. You talk to her afterwards. >> That's idea number one for today. Arrogant. Excitement a little bit >> excitement verb. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, something it's it's new today. I feel newness. I feel like I'm a different person today and I'm going to express it. It's wow. My modi will be different. Whatever it is. [clears throat] Now, idea number one, the horn of the ox is arrogance. Arrogance. We're in control. Nature. It's it's all in our hands. We have we have we have the final say. Kaneka is about breaking the laws of nature about davening about turning to Hashem in our in our davening completely dependent on Hashem. A and B infusing newness. If Hashem is continuously creating the world, then we need to feel that newness in our creation. That's level number one. Okay. With practical insights and thank you is is major. You know, I I had a this is nothing. I had a kan party last night for my my my girls for and uh the 3% and um my younger daughter wrote me a note and it was so sweet. She said, "This is a time of laos to give thanks to Hashem and it's a time to give thanks to the those Hashem have put into our lives for what they've done for us." and then wrote a beautiful note like wow that's something to do there are so many people in our lives that we want why not write a note to say thank you am I making sense and obviously um to give them a book with a thank you to express how much you appreciate them so we have those books available here that you too can uh how am I doing in marketing >> [laughter] >> Source 15. I have another 200 to sell and then you won't hear from me till the next one comes out. The Gmorra tells us that after committing the sin of eating from the tree of knowledge. I'm in source 15, Robbie Bernstein. Adam brought an ax as an offering. On this level, the ax is symbolic. Moreover, the gammer states that this ax had unusual characteristic. It had worn horn in its forehead. The very first offering was a unicorn of sorts. The schlakadesh explains the reason why one who sins brings an animal as a sacrifices in order to indicate that one recognizes that through sinning has become more like an animal. The sacrifice is meant to take the place of the person and it can only do so if there's some commonality. And this is the point. In bring the sacrifice one demonstrates one's awareness that through sin he has become more in common with the animal. That may be true. But the key is that the sacrifice, the first sacrifice that Adam brought had a horn. The horn in Hebrew is a keran which is related to karan or which is related to light. Michelangelo the horns on Mosenu's head when it's the light emanating from his head. And I'll tell you, my husband's from Mississippi. We've had that being in the airport in Alabama where somebody came over to my husband and said, "Can I ask you a personal question? Can I see your horns?" >> Well, my friends, yeah, >> can I ask a question? >> Sure. >> Um, so you talk about like this that we're always being recreated, the world being recreated. How does that balance with that idea of the next world and Yeah, it does. And that's exactly No, it's exactly this. You hit the nail on the head. The question is how do we understand that this world is continuously moving and that world is there? And this Rabbi Tat speaks about exactly your point. That's why this world is called Arat from the word rat to run. That world is called Shamayim from the word sham there. And that's exactly it. Once you're there, other people can move you higher. What we call an elu nama, but you're stuck. We have down here is about movement. And that's why every opportunity we can to hold the door open for somebody, which is obviously my metaphor, grab because this is the place of grabbing opportunity because once you that's aritz rats once you're there, you're there 100%. Now what did this represent? The horn on the ax represented his aspiration to return back to his original light. That was the sacrifice of Adam. This is used as the model of the battle between Greece and the Jews because what the Greeks were saying is you're an animal. We're an animal. You have a body. We have a body. Beautify the body and we'll be the best of friends. And we right get rid of the horn. You have no portion with the horn. And our response is this is what makes us us. Yes, we're physical, but what we have a spiritual aspect. Let's take a look at the end. Um, in terms of above Gumar's description of Adam's offering 16 arrow, we can see how the dispute between Greece and Israel could be summed up by saying they're arguing over the horn of an ox, i.e. whether man should be aspiring to anything beyond the development and perfection of physical existence. Greece says man is an ox. That's it. Devote your energies to making the axe as successful and beautiful as you can. Get rid of the horn and we'll be the best of friends. Israel says the horn of the axe represents everything we aspire to be. It represents our connection with the divine. It's true. We're an ox. We cannot deny that. For an ox with a horn and that's what divides us. And and that's why in 17 Roy Bernstein goes on to explain that right after they left the battlefield, they went to the temple to rededicate it. Had they ended the story just in the battlefield, we would have won the battle and lost the war because the war was something about what? >> Nature. The war was about nature and it was about the physical and the temple is about amigdos is about the spiritual. They were arguing over the horn of the ox, which leads me to 18. Something very, very fascinating. Don't move the page. It's the bottom of the page. But, you know, sometimes you walk away with one idea that I have no idea what she was talking about. Some horn and ox and I don't know and and deting and this 80-y old woman who's doing 600 jump ropes. I I don't get the whole picture, but I wanted you to walk away with this. We talk about Yehudah Makabe. The Makabim. What's the image that we conjure up in our mind when we talk about Makabe? We talk about what do we think in our minds? We're thinking what? >> Papey. Do you know what I'm talking about? Papey. >> Spinach. >> We think of the the the the armor and the sword, right? And we know we were taught as kids that makabe stands for me kamashem who's like you the mighty one oh god and it's very much a physical representation so mishkman in 18 brings he says he heard once from yosepher and re manchester abitad yashan who saw in a much older uh writing that Makabe wasn't written with a B but with a cuff me right we'll deal with the uh health insurance another time you know what that stands for hashem from beginning of time We yearn for you. We long for you. We turn to you, Hashem. >> I [clears throat] also heard that. >> Right. So that's with a cuff, which is about strength. Move from strength to >> to the horn. Do you hear the the the difference? And we know that there were 13 of them fighting against thousands. What was their weapon? The capito which many people say some people say seven times after lighting the end of sadic the hinoam because this was the time when we finished the mishka and this was the moenu and yos veter elon that was their battlecry. Omar, this is what it's about. That's what they went out with. They went out with that. That's what Khan is about. It's about where do we put our focus in our lives. Khaneka is about reorienting that question. Is our focus in our life just the ox or is the focus in our life obviously the ax but the horn as well. >> Yes. >> So that's what it says. It says but that's it right. Yes. There's beauty but where shame. Exactly. Very good. It has to be within the context of of of Torah of of Yiddish kite. And and again the this is a little bit uh harsh but I'm going to bring it anyway. >> Not but and what brings us more excitement in the morning our coffee or our shahako? That was too harsh. Okay, I retract that. After the coffee, the burring of fells. Now that we've been well, you have to drink it a certain amount of time. It's not so simple with a hot drink. You get the picture. Now, I want to add the following here. And and we're running out of time, which is normal for me. Um, we're when I read this piece of Rabbi Bernstein, my question was, it almost seems like a rabbit out of the hat. You're telling me that the argument of writing on the horn of the ox goes back to the horn of Adam Harisho. Like why are you you you hear my question like where are you coming from that Khaneka's story has anything to do with what the acts of Adam so I saw a piece and this is 22 in Rav Mosha Shapiro um called a I didn't understand any part of this piece at the same time I should say any part at the same time I I want to share with you his premise because the upshot is something that I want to focus in on. So I'm going to do most of it outside. I'm just going to highlight and and I think you'll find it very fascinating. There's a Gmorra and a Vizora in source 20. The Gomorrah talks about different festivals that the nations had and they said there's a festival I can't even pronounce it I don't know how to pronounce it. It's celebrated for eight consecutive days following the winter solstice which is the shortest day of the year and some other group celebrated for eight consecutive days preceding the winter solstice. Where did this come from? So he explains that when Atam Harishon started seeing the days becoming shorter, he felt that he brought death into the world and fasted for eight days. And then he saw that wa the days are becoming longer. This is what part of the world and he made a festival for eight days. these different uh nations are picking up on the festival of these eight days. Now, Rabosa Shapiro explains, well, let me do one more piece and then I'll backtrack. The Gumra then goes on in 21A and says, "This isn't the first time that Adam Marishon had this feeling. When the original light of creation dimmed on Saturday night, remember Bor she had to make light alone fasted that whole night because he thought he brought destruction to the world. The next morning when the sun came out, that's when he brought the sacrifice to thank Hashem for the day where he realized that no, there's a continuation. It's not all over. Now work with me outside just for a few minutes because we have very few and that is Ram Shapiro speaks about that the 12 months of the year can be divided into four different periods. Each period has three parts. The first part begins on the 25th day of L when the world was created and that goes for three months and that's when the the days are becoming shorter and shorter. The next three months the days become even what? Longer. 25th of L. Go three months. Where do you land? The 25th of Kisslife of Khaneka. Our Kaneka he says is a celebration of the light now moving to the next stage. But it's taking the 8 days of the fasting with the eight days of the celebration, recognizing that you can't have light without first appreciating the darkness. And he says it's fascinating that our beginning of the year rashana is beginning at the time when it's getting darker and darker. That this is what life is about. by first darkness then light. The nations of the world also have an 8-day festival and it also begins on number 25 and ends on January 1st, 8 days later. They are celebrating the light. They are celebrating when everything is starting to what? To look beautiful. We just want to focus on on eat, drink, and be merry. We don't want to focus in on the struggle that we're able to appreciate the light. Now, we understand symbolically, and then we'll bring into our lives. And I went the wrong direction. Now we understand symbolically we know what was unique about Adam's Corban was this was the this ax the way it grew based on is that it came horn up. It like sprouted from the ground. Usually it's first the hoofs and then the horn grows much later. This a had the horn first. made to home. The earth is the symbol of darkness and from this darkness sprouts the horn which we've said is another way of describing what light. It's from the darkness that we're able to appreciate the light 24 and he says we have to remember you only have light when it comes from darkness. It's not just physical darkness. Darkness is a catchphrase for any what? Challenge in life. Difficulties whether in spirituality, in physicality, big and small, small periods, large periods, everyone has their peculiar Jerel says, you can either look at it as baggage or luggage. It's how you view what you're carrying along with you and it makes all the difference. You see this is called and yet from their darkness comes the most beautiful hallow day you can imagine. It's from the challenges that come the light as the says in 25 in the double underline when we and not all of us see it at the same time. There's so many different gradations of light in the world of darkness. Do you know what I mean by that? So many slivers where we get that that small glance of that Hashem is is holding us to the extent of the darkness is the appreciation of the light. That's what Kaneka is about. Kaneka is about we don't celebrate it in the day. We celebrate it at night with a little candle. Not with a big, you know, bonfire like like Lag Bom because the darkness itself is part of, give me the word is part of >> it's part of the light. Exactly. The darkness is part of the light. So when I sit by the candles and I'm dabbing, I also have to thank Hashem not only for the light. Oh, I thank Hashem for the challenges as well because that's what's building me. That's what's changing me. That's what's impacting me. That's what allowing me to grow. And and going back to um to my my my children and those 3% and I've said this many a time. Had we had children those first 10 years we were married I would never be sitting here in front of you today. Period. I was able to grow first of all in my learning and more I think more importantly in my relationship with rebon shalom in my relationship with myself in in becoming a more am I making any sense developed focused person was 10 years of struggle. The darkness is part of the light and the light is part of the darkness. So when we're talking about where did Yavan get the horn of the axe of Adam, it's one story where they're just celebrating the happy times. We're celebrating the struggle because the struggle is part of what makes us us. So when we thank Hashem at the candle lighting on your list should also be what that I'm dabbing for that I'm hoping for that I'm struggling with. Yeah. Am I making sense? It's intense. Okay my friends I have four minutes [snorts] whole third level left. So I'm going to do it outside because this is my life. or I'll do a little bit inside. What is the horn of the axe? What is the ox 26 oat? What is something about the ox? The ox is a is a is a is a again metaphor for something that just eats all day. It works all day. It's very involved in physicality in the asterisk in any aspect that you're involved in the world of the physical. You should you shouldn't have any part of el. You shouldn't have any aspect in your physical life that's connected to spirituality. Just stay with what? The physical. Just focus in on this. And our response in 27 is to ask ourselves to weigh in everything we do we're doing, am I bringing, am I bringing good favor to Hashem or not? Is this something that makes Hashem proud of me? Am I able to see Hashem at every step of the way? We'll just do the end of Rafinkus and call it a day in 31. The Rambam writes that when we say Abraham, what does that mean? The God of Abraham Abraham didn't disconnect his thoughts from Hashem even for a moment. when you think about Hashem, you feel that he's right here and and and that you know everything that you're doing brings him into that reality. And the arrow that has to be our goal that we have is my with my coffee which means We have to feel Hashem's presence in everything that we're doing. Bottom line is not just about hallow in the day and lighting candles at night. Khaneka is about feeling Hashem in our lives. Practically this is my suggestion and and and this is um again based on Rafinkus pick a braha and basen pick a braha and during khan at least once a day preferably more a braha you say a lot say it out loud say it with kavana and I'll give you an example and this will end the the The the the Surimoshim tell us that when we say the idea that Hashem is elo melam he's the master of the world that you should have in mind that Hashem had this item appropriated for you from the time it was created. So let's take an apple. When that original apple seed was created, grandfather apple seed or grandmother apple seed or today neutral apple seed, [laughter] the tree was created. Hashem knew that from this tree was going to come what? This apple. And Hashem knew that this apple was going to land up in this truck that was going to land up in y that was going to land up that I was going to pick. picking. There's a lot of apples there. I was going to pick this apple and that I chose this apple this morning for breakfast. This apple is not just >> What type of apple is it? >> Anyone want to pick the apple? >> A gala. >> A what? >> Gal. >> Oh, gala apple. Yeah. It's not just that. I'm the apple of his eye. He loves me. He invested in this apple from the beginning of time till now. Oh my gosh. I pick up this apple. Do you see it in your right in front of me right now? What color is it? >> Red. Wow. I could hardly hold it. It's love. It's connection. It's bor. Hashem is continuously involved in this apple. He's a boring not bor present tense. It's a whole different experience to find a braha. If you never eat fruit during the day, this is not the right braha to find a braha. Everything comes from him. To find a braha of connection that throughout my day, I can remember hashem is here. Hashem loves me. Hashem cares about me. And that's kanuka rededication. I'm rededicating myself in my relationship with Hashem.